Showing posts with label back pain relief. Show all posts
Showing posts with label back pain relief. Show all posts

Monday, February 2, 2015

Natural Human Movement videos

Greetings, fellow humans!

As a reminder, I am happily now offering top quality "mo-ssage" and one on one holistic fitness coaching at Synchronicity Wellness in Asheville! 

Regardless of what part of the world your ancestors came from, it's safe to say they moved a lot. They walked every day, the squatted every day, and they lifted things every day. Perhaps, they even ran every day. Think of it like this:


  • Graceful
  • Efficient
  • Powerful…
  • and PLAYFUL!
This is how you and I were meant to move.

Unfortunately, for many of us, modern life has disconnected us from how our body was meant to stand,walksitliftplay, dance, and run.
By re-integrating our natural, ancestral movement patterns into the context of our modern life,
my approach to “natural human movement” encourages movements and postures that are helpful rather than harmful to our physiology.
The result is a safe, enjoyable approach to attaining our full human potential for movement.
When we view our own health from the ancestral health or biological perspective, we start to ask: “What was our body designed to do?”
This perspective shifts us toward a more natural, whole foods way of eating. Similarly, this perspective must also take into account how we move.



In an effort to share some  ideas on how our bodies were meant to move, I am in the process of co-creating a series of short videos on ePhysiologix. Below is a link to some of what has been published so far:

http://www.ephysiologix.com/fitness/naturalhumanmovement/

some individual links are below:


Tap/click here to watch:   Squat to sit/ squat to stand: 





Tap/click here to watch: Self massage of the calf (this one is more "self care" than natural movement)

Tap/click here to watch: Run like an animal, not a machine  (a one minute "selfie" showing what gentle trail running can look like)

If you want to see an older (and much longer) video with a somewhat in-depth explanation of why we have lost our natural human gait, and how to begin regaining it,




It's a wonderfully cold and soggy day as I look out the windows from my beautiful work place.
As "old man winter" sets in, it's easy for many of us to just snuggle up on the couch, enjoy a warm beverage, and watch movies. I'm not suggesting for even a second that you miss out on these truly wonderful comforts. However, it's worth mentioning that you were meant to move. Enjoy these moments of relaxation, but also take every opportunity to move.

OK, Now go outside and play! 

                          Much love, -Mo the human

Thursday, November 6, 2014

The most technologically advanced shoe ever made.

Greetings, fellow humans!





There is a shoe available which is far beyond any technology we normally associate with sports equipment. It is equipped with thousands of microscopic sensors designed to make the sole adapt instantly to changing terrain and traction environments. An extremely powerful, yet portable data processor constantly monitors the information coming from each shoe making minute adjustments with every step to ensure a smooth and efficient gait whether walking, hiking, or even running.

While not suitable for use in every sport, these shoes are extremely lightweight and supremely comfortable and breathable, with a truly custom fit for every athlete. Unbeknownst to the general public, many top athletes and training facilities have used these shoes for some or all of their training with overwhelmingly positive results.

With proper training and frequent use, these shoes can help build maximum core strength, coordination, efficiency, and balance in athletes and normal people of all ages.

These shoes, sadly, are not for sale... The good news is, you already have a pair! We are referring to the natural human foot. 

Over one billion people are currently using the most popular shoe on earth: None. While the unshod populations of the earth do have many struggles in life, their feet are remarkably healthy. 

Those of us who have spent most of our lives in shoes, however, are in need of a serious "software update" to take advantage of our feet. Once we learn how to feel our feet, we can then move on to building the necessary strength and flexibility to take full advantage of our truly amazing and capable feet. I have seen bunions, hammer toes, plantar fascia issues, knee pain, and even back pain improve tremendously through carefully training and regaining a natural human gait. If you have any interest in getting back in touch with your feet, consider the "sobriety test" as a careful first step into an exciting new journey.

Finding Your Natural Human Gait Step 1 

The “Sobriety Test” Exercise: 

Teaching Your Brain to See with Your Feet 


Expect this to be a joyful, but possibly very slow process. Different people learn at different speeds. Approach this as if you are gardening. You cannot force a plant to bloom. As such, do not force your feet or brain to adapt too quickly. Let this be a short time you take every morning to experience the sensation you brain has been hungry for since childhood.
1.     Start completely barefoot on a flat, hard, smooth surface such as a wood or stone floor.
2.     Stand for a moment and gently shift your weight from foot to foot without lifting either foot off the ground.
3.   While looking forward (not down) with a soft gaze, begin lifting each foot very slightly, then gently placing it onto the ground before you slowly lift the other foot.
4.     With a soft, relaxed ankle, place one foot just barely in front of the other foot, then WAIT for the front foot to “invite” your weight onto it. This will involve some gentle contraction of the Gluteal and hamstring muscles in the back leg.
5.     As you shift your weight to the forward foot, gently lift the back foot without “pushing off”. 
6.     Repeat at a slow, gentle pace. If you are “thumping”, slow down.
7.     Try the same movement walking backwards. Notice the sensations in your feet.


After some time, you may wish to experiment with some different textures: rough surfaced concrete, dirt, etc… eventually even gravel. Do not rush this. With patience you can avoid possible injury as you slowly regain a very gentle and joyful gait. In time the muscles, tendons, and bones of the feet will become stronger as your brain-foot connection becomes “smarter”.

If you would like additional resources, click here.

OK, Now go outside and play!
                                       Much Love, Mo the human                

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Run like an animal, not a machine.

Greetings, fellow humans!

First of all, let me say... I know next to nothing about competing in races of any distance.

I have worked on thousands of runners in my massage therapy career, many of whom have been quite accomplished competitors. However, I personally have little to no interest in competition. I'm not saying you should not compete, so much as I'm saying my approach to running is kinda the opposite of a competitor's mindset. Competitors seem to view their runs in miles and times, pacing, training schedules, etc. I do none of that. I'm not saying competitors don't enjoy their runs, but based on what I hear from the competitors I know, it seems like there's a lot of suffering going on there. (and quite a few injuries as well.)

 I consider running to be "PLAY" and not "EXERCISE". Not that no exercise comes from running, but I think if you goals are to"get in shape", running is an inefficient way to do so.


I run for 2 reasons:

1: Sheer JOY! (see 1 minute video below, or TAP/CLICK HERE if on a mobile device)



2: Quick transportation. (Walking is not as fast as running, even for a slow runner like me.)



About four and half years ago, I couldn't even consider running. Luckily, I was opened to a whole new approach that truly changed my life.

Thanks to a re-learning of this basic human skill, I can run again in a joyful and pain-free manner!



 If you want to go "further down the rabbit hole" on techniques for regaining a gentle, non-impact gait, watch the video below (or TAP/CLICK HERE if on a mobile device). Even if you are a competitive runner, I think this approach can lead to a more efficient and pleasure-filled run. The first 12 minutes is where I describe how and why the important first step in learning to run is learning to walk with a natural gait. The rest consists of a lengthy Q&A/discussion of ideas.


If you want to read more on some of my favorite resources, bunions, plantar fasciitis, and my favorite shoe options go here.

                                                     OK... Now go outside and play!      Much love, Mo the human.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Resources for natural foot health and reclaiming your natural human gait.

Greetings, fellow humans! 

As of 4-4-15 this post (after some editing) has been moved to my new website:

www.MoTheHuman.net


Thanks for your support over all these years!

Much love and respect, Mo the human

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

To dance with those who are not yet born...

I hope, someday, to be very old.
I hope to live that long, but not at the expense of living.
Through scraped knees, and broken bones,
Stubbed toes, and broken hearts, I plan to earn my way...
To graceful wisdom.

I hope to dance with those who are not yet born.
To sing with them their songs.
To see through their eyes.
To taste, once again, the reckless joy of a youthful body,
Like the one I have today.




I wrote this short poem over 7 years ago when my wife was pregnant with our first kid.
I'm happy to say, thanks largely to a few key changes,  I feel even more youthful and alive today than I did then!






OK, Now go outside and play!

                                                                Much love, Mo the human